Moratis Passas Law Firm

The firm: Moratis Passas was founded in 1990 by joining the previously individual successful practices of George Moratis and Dimitris Passas. In 2010 the firm was established as a law partnership under Greek Law (Presidential Decree 81/2005) and is located in Athens (Head office: 15 Voukourestiou str. |Branch office 5 Zalokosta str.)

Moratis Passas has since its inception been an advisor to many key players in the Greek banking and financial sectors. Over the past decades, we have built a highly qualified team that combines local expertise with experience in major international transactions, ensuring our clients receive consistent quality. Our firm has experience in the vast majority of the business segments and financial markets across multiple jurisdictions and works with high-profile clients to resolve disputes efficiently and effectively –through arbitration, litigation, or other techniques. Our widely recognized expertise has been developed through the years, and has led us to top tier ranking among Greek law firms in the fields of banking and finance. Furthermore, we have played a substantial role in many of the most complex and noteworthy transactions and litigations. Gradually, our areas of practice have successfully expanded over most fields of contemporary financial and corporate matters. Today, we are proud of our expanding and loyal clientele that varies from corporate entities to banks and multinational organizations, as well as private entities. The firm’s commitment to meeting all challenges with absolute dedication has led to long-lasting ties with its clients, which include venture capital firms, private equity funds, financial and credit institutions, Greek and foreign ship-owners and businessmen, as well as, major companies in almost all areas of industry and commerce. Moratis Passas operates in accordance with its business principles of quality, unity, and integrity, aims to provide the highest possible standard of legal service to each of its clients, and to maintain an outstanding level of quality at every point of contact.

Main areas of practice
Banking and finance: We advise most local and foreign credit and financial institutions operating in Greece on a wide range of matters pertaining to banking, finance and corporate law as well as regulatory issues. Our experience includes negotiation and conclusion of sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) regarding transfer of whole or part of a business, documentation and execution of credit facilities, including syndicated loans, documentation and enforcement of securities (mortgages and charges), indemnities and guarantees, factoring transactions, leasing transactions, hire-purchase transactions, inter-creditor agreements, international trade finance (letters of credit and other negotiable instruments), corporate refinancing and restructuring, project and construction finance and other. We have also pioneered many new financial products and practices in the retail banking and consumer lending.

Capital markets:The international capital markets expertise of Moratis Passas covers initial public offerings and further equity offerings, regulatory capital and equity-linked (convertible and exchangeable) bond issues. The capital markets practice concentrates on securities transactions and other products sold into the capital markets. The practice is complemented by local securities law expertise in each of the key financial centers. It provides practical, integrated legal advice that covers the full spectrum of capital raising activities, including public and private domestic and international offerings of traditional debt and equity securities, as well as convertible and other derivative and structured securities.

Structured finance, securitizations and structured bonds: Our firm has in depth experience of Greek law on securitizations, having been involved in a number of such transactions by local originators, since the enactment of Law 3156/2003 on corporate bonds and securitizations. The firm excels in all areas of the securitization market across all asset classes, though it has particular expertise in whole business securitizations and corporate structured funding, including infrastructure and project bond-related work, and it is a leading legal advisor in the covered bonds market .We also have wide experience on international issues of debt securities issued by Greek companies, having acted as Greek counsel to the underwriters in most High Yield Bond issues of Greek corporates. The practice provides highly commercial and practical advice across the full spectrum of financial products, including syndicated lending and leveraged and acquisition finance, asset finance, project finance, financial regulatory, insolvency, restructuring and structured finance ,diversified payment rights transactions and other asset securitizations (bonds, repos and options).

Financial services regulatory: Our firm’s service portfolio covers the entire regulatory lifecycle, from licensing procedures, cross border services, payment systems, AML rules to industry-specific regulations.

Corporate and M&A: Our corporate and commercial practice legal team handles some of the most complex M&As transactions, joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements, company and partnership formations, as well as general corporate representation. Our practice has a notably strong record in legal support for companies, corporate groups, enterprises, in-house legal teams, and individuals with respect to commercial contracts and agreements covering all aspects of commercial transactions, including sale and lease of movable and immovable property, provision of legal services, franchise, license, and distribution agreements. Our firm also advises spin-offs of Greek companies and assists with the day-to-day legal affairs of several major Greek companies with international activities. Furthermore, our experience includes negotiation and conclusion of sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) regarding transfer of whole or part of a business.

Dispute resolution (litigation and arbitration): Moratis Passas has a very strong litigation team with a long track record of achievements in major complex, national and cross border litigation, arbitration and out of court disputes, especially in handling civil litigation, commercial disputes, banking, and financial cases. With highly skilled lawyers in litigation, arbitration, our firm deploys that experience to help clients devise the best legal strategies to handle business disputes. Furthermore, it provides robust complementary corporate and litigation advice and representation. The firm represents clients in litigation and arbitration before Greek courts and international arbitral tribunals in relation to a wide range of disputes.

Competition/antitrust and EU law: Our antitrust experts have extensive experience in dealing with cartel investigations, conducted either by the Hellenic Competition Commission or the European Commission, in a very large number of industry sectors, including banking, pharmaceuticals, food sector, automobile, energy and telecommunications. We have also dealt with cases concerning abuse of dominance, in all its forms (margin squeeze, predatory pricing, unfair trading conditions etc), both under Greek and EU law. We regularly advise our clients on possible antitrust and competition law issues arising in the context of commercial agreements, including exclusive and selective distribution, franchising and e-commerce. As we strongly believe in a proactive approach, we are keen to help our clients on compliance strategies by drafting competition guidelines and organizing training programs for investigations (dawn raids) tailored to our clients’ individual needs.Our team in the field of M&A’s provides all necessary substantive analysis in close collaboration with expert economists and assists our clients in the filing of a merger notification and possible remedies implementation, both under Greek and EU merger control system. Lastly, we represent our clients before the Greek Administrative Courts and the Council of State against the Hellenic Competition Commission’s decisions, as well as EU Courts in Luxembourg and we proceed to any necessary actions for damages before Greek civil courts for violations of antitrust rules.

Insurance: We have broad and extensive experience in Greek insurance and reinsurance law. Among our clients are many of the worlds and local leading insurers, reinsurers, brokers, as well as banking clients. Our in-depth know-how of local laws and regulatory framework, as well as our practice insight, enables us to provide practical and client-oriented legal and tax advice in connection with life/non-life insurance and reinsurance, as well as bancassourance arrangements.

Public sector: We review public sector contracts and concession agreements and advise on financing Greek public sector entities, including acting for foreign state agencies.

Data protection: Our law firm holds significant expertise in the area of data protection for more than two decades. Our dedicated team of lawyers is certified as Privacy Practitioners by IAPP and has solid knowledge and experience in privacy issues, forming a holistic and business-friendly approach to address the needs of our clients. Our work covers regulatory compliance, data protection audits, due diligence on data protection and privacy issues, privacy statements ,privacy impact assessments, whistle-blowing schemes and other privacy policies, internal investigations, data processing agreements, data security, data retention obligations and related litigation.